Workspace Setup

The Stock Allocation & Ordering system is commonly used by:

• Inventory managers
• Production managers
• Administration staff
• Purchasing teams
• Warehouse staff
• Business owners

Main Functions

The Stock Allocation & Ordering system allows users to:

• Allocate stock to jobs
• Reserve inventory
• Track stock availability
• Create supplier orders
• Monitor stock shortages
• Manage incoming inventory
• Track backorders
• Prevent overselling
• Improve production scheduling
• Automate stock workflows

What Is Stock Allocation?

Purpose

Stock Allocation reserves inventory for specific customer orders or production jobs.

Once stock is allocated, the inventory becomes unavailable for other jobs until:

• Production is completed
• Allocation is removed
• Stock is released

This helps prevent inventory conflicts and stock shortages.

Why Stock Allocation Is Important

Stock allocation helps businesses:

• Prevent overselling
• Improve production planning
• Protect customer orders
• Reduce stock shortages
• Improve workflow visibility
• Maintain inventory accuracy

Stock Allocation Workflow

Standard Allocation Process

1. Customer order approved
2. Products added to production job
3. System checks inventory availability
4. Available stock is allocated to the job
5. Remaining shortages trigger purchasing workflows
6. Production begins once stock is available

Stock Status Types

In Stock

Product inventory is available and ready for allocation.

Allocated

Inventory has been reserved for a specific job or order.

Allocated stock cannot be used for other jobs.

Low Stock

Inventory has reached minimum stock thresholds.

Low stock alerts help businesses reorder products before shortages occur.

Out Of Stock

No inventory is currently available.

Supplier ordering may be required before production can begin.

On Order

Products have been ordered from suppliers but not yet received.

Backordered

Products are delayed or unavailable from suppliers.

Backorders may affect production scheduling and delivery times.

Stock Availability Checking

Purpose

The system automatically checks inventory availability during:

• Quotes
• Orders
• Production job creation
• Stock allocation

This helps businesses identify shortages before production begins.

Automatic Stock Allocation

Purpose

The system may automatically allocate stock when:

• Orders are approved
• Payments are received
• Production jobs are released

Automatic allocation improves workflow speed and inventory control.

Manual Stock Allocation

Purpose

Users may manually allocate inventory to jobs when required.

Manual allocation is useful for:

• Priority customers
• Rush orders
• Limited stock situations
• Special production scheduling

Partial Stock Allocation

Purpose

Partial allocation allows available inventory to be reserved while remaining quantities are ordered from suppliers.

Example:

The remaining stock may trigger a Purchase Order.

Stock Reservation

Purpose

Reserved stock is protected for specific production jobs.

Reserved stock may remain unavailable until:

• Production starts
• Job is cancelled
• Allocation is released

Stock Release

Purpose

Allocated stock may be released back into inventory if:

• Orders are cancelled
• Quantities change
• Jobs are postponed

This ensures accurate inventory availability.

Supplier Ordering

Purpose

When stock shortages occur, the system may assist with supplier ordering workflows.

Supplier ordering may include:

• Purchase Order creation
• Supplier selection
• Product ordering
• Delivery tracking

Purchase Order Integration

Purpose

Stock shortages may automatically generate supplier purchasing requirements.

Purchase Orders may include:

• Product quantities
• Supplier details
• Expected delivery dates
• Cost pricing

Supplier Lead Times

Purpose

Lead times help businesses estimate supplier delivery schedules.

Lead times assist with:

• Production planning
• Customer delivery estimates
• Scheduling accuracy

Incoming Stock Tracking

Purpose

Incoming stock tracking helps businesses monitor products currently on order from suppliers.

Users can view:

• Pending deliveries
• Supplier status
• Expected arrival dates
• Backorders

Inventory Forecasting

Purpose

Forecasting helps businesses predict future stock requirements based on:

• Sales trends
• Production workload
• Seasonal demand
• Customer orders

Low Stock Alerts

Purpose

Low stock alerts notify staff when inventory reaches minimum thresholds.

This helps prevent:

• Production delays
• Stock shortages
• Rush supplier orders

Inventory Locations

Purpose

Inventory may be tracked across multiple locations.

Examples include:

• Warehouse
• Production floor
• Retail showroom
• Dispatch area

Variant Stock Allocation

Purpose

Variant allocation supports products with:

• Sizes
• Colors
• Styles
• Fits

Example:

This ensures accurate inventory tracking for complex product ranges.

Production Workflow Integration

Purpose

Stock allocation integrates directly into the Production Workflow.

Production jobs may be blocked if:

• Stock unavailable
• Supplier orders incomplete
• Backorders active

This improves production accuracy and scheduling.

Dispatch Allocation

Purpose

Allocated inventory may remain reserved until dispatch is completed.

This prevents:

• Incorrect shipping
• Double allocation
• Inventory conflicts

Inventory Reporting

Purpose

Stock reporting helps businesses monitor:

• Current inventory
• Allocated stock
• Low stock products
• Supplier purchasing
• Inventory movement

Best Practices

Allocate Stock Early

Reserve inventory as early as possible after order approval.

This protects stock for customer jobs.

Monitor Low Stock Alerts

Regularly review low stock notifications to prevent production delays.

Verify Supplier Lead Times

Accurate supplier lead times improve:

• Scheduling
• Customer communication
• Delivery estimates

Review Backorders Daily

Monitor supplier backorders to avoid unexpected production delays.

Common Use Cases

Production Job Allocation

Reserve garments and materials for approved customer jobs.

Supplier Reordering

Automatically reorder stock when inventory reaches minimum levels.

Rush Orders

Manually prioritize stock allocation for urgent customer jobs.

Multi-Variant Apparel

Allocate exact garment sizes and colors for production accuracy.

Troubleshooting

Stock Not Allocating

Check:

• Inventory availability
• Product setup
• Variant configuration
• Allocation permissions

Incorrect Inventory Levels

Check:

• Stock adjustments
• Purchase Order receiving
• Allocation history
• Inventory synchronization

Purchase Orders Not Generating

Check:

• Reorder rules
• Supplier setup
• Inventory thresholds

Allocated Stock Missing

Check:

• Job allocation records
• Released allocations
• Inventory movement history

Related Features

The Stock Allocation & Ordering system works closely with:

• Inventory
• Products
• Purchase Orders
• Production Workflow
• Production Queue
• Suppliers
• Dispatch
• Reporting

Summary

The Stock Allocation & Ordering system is a critical inventory and workflow management feature within Print Shop Worx.

Proper stock management improves:

• Inventory accuracy
• Production scheduling
• Supplier ordering
• Workflow efficiency
• Customer delivery reliability
• Operational control

A structured stock allocation system helps businesses maintain accurate inventory while supporting smooth production and purchasing workflows across the entire operation.